The U.S. Army identified Monday the four soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Sept. 17 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
The soldiers are: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, Missouri; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, Florida; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma, Washington; and Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, Washington.
They were assigned to the 4th Battalion of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers,” an elite team that conducts nighttime missions.
Their MH-60 Black Hawk crashed about 9 p.m. on Sept. 17, igniting a small wildfire and kicking off a search mission. The cause of the crash remained under investigation Monday.
“These exceptional warriors ... embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations,” Col. Stephen Smith said in an Army release. “These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”
Cully commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 2013 and completed flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He was reappointed as an aviation warrant officer and served as a UH-60M Black Hawk pilot.
Cully’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.
Kraus served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a CH-46 maintainer from 2008 to 2013. He joined the Army in 2017 and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
He then served as an aeromedical evacuation pilot in command in Germany and was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in 2023.
His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal second award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Unity Commendation, and Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Basic Aviation Badge.
Scott enlisted in the Army as a repairer for UH-60 helicopters and later served as a MH-60 crew chief in C Company, 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. There, he earned fully mission-qualified status as a crew chief, accumulating more776 flying hours.
Scott served on two support missions to Operation Inherent Resolve and a crisis response contingency operation.
His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal - Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.
Good also enlisted in the Army as a UH-60 helicopter repairer, serving as a helicopter maintainer with C Company, 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
In 2023, after graduating from the MH-60 non-rated crew member course, she served as a crew chief. She achieved basic mission-qualified status, accumulating over 730 flight hours.
Good was instrumental in the success of numerous training missions and a crisis response contingency operation, the Army said.
Her awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Parachutist Badge, Combat and Special Skill Badge Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Basic Aviation Badge.
“As we mourn their loss, we stand united in honoring their memory and their extraordinary commitment to the mission,” Smith said in the release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time.”
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
